“So this was not a choice,” she said.
“No,” Dr Finch replied firmly. “This was something going wrong.”
Later that day, Ruby sat in a quiet room with a woman who had known her since she was small. Mrs Wanda Price was not related by blood, but she had been present in ways that mattered.
“I brought you something,” Wanda said, opening her purse.
She placed a small wooden lighthouse in Ruby’s palm, smooth and warm.
“Your dad made it,” Wanda said. “He asked me to keep it safe.”
Ruby’s eyes filled.
“He said it shows the way home,” she whispered.
“Yes,” Wanda replied. “And he is following it.”
The hearing two days later was brief but heavy. Judge Paula Simmons listened without interruption as Denise laid out the evidence and Dr Finch spoke of his concerns.
Then the judge turned to Ruby.
“Do you want to say something,” she asked gently.
Ruby stood, clutching the lighthouse.
“My dad did not leave me,” she said, her voice soft but steady. “Something stopped him. I want to stay where he can find me.”
The judge nodded.
“Ruby will stay with Mrs Price for now,” she ruled. “We will focus on finding her father.”